Tobey's New Chance
by MentalistSweete
Summary: One of Tobey's newest inventions goes awry and when he comes to, he isn't exactly himself anymore...


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, besides "Jade" and somewhat Tia. Read to understand what I mean!

Tobey is locked in his room, working on a new project. If all things go well, he will be able to understand what is going on in girls' minds… namely his mother's, to find out how she _really_ feels about him and Becky's to discover _why_ she feels the way she does about the reporter. Claire isn't home at the moment, being caught up in cases with Sally. He has one of his smaller robots (which he has named Jade, due to the electrifying shade in its eyes) on lookout by the window. He reaches for the wrong tool and accidentally cuts the wrong wire. A painful jolt of electrical energy shorts at Tobey, sending him crashing into the opposite wall.

Tobey awakes a few hours later. Jade is still around, but the machine is gone. _Mother must be home._ He had programmed Jade to recognize several people and to clean up if they were to arrive. Tobey's head hurts deficiently. He reaches up to find a cut but is shocked when his hand runs against something supple and… _is that my hair?_ Soft blond locks linger past his shoulder blades. He tugs a bit, only to justify it is his actual hair. One of his glasses lenses are cracked and the bridge is twisted. He moves to his dresser to replace them with the embarrassing lavender-tinted ones his mother had inadvertently purchased a couple years back.

Substituting them, he finally takes into account how dark it is. It was only four o'clock when he started the expansion. He glances around to see Jade retreating into his closet and powering down. Jade's curfew, Claire had programmed, is to be eleven o'clock. _Have I really been out for six hours?_ He shakes his head and places his hand on the dresser top. He glares at his fingernails in the dim light. They had been polished… and there is bright red nail polish on them!

Mentally shrieking, he runs down the hall. His mother is asleep in her bed with the door cracked slightly open. He quiets down and tiptoes into the bathroom. He locks the door, peers into the mirror… and freezes. His hair is let down, with a shiny crimson bow on the upper left side, reminiscent of his favored bowtie. He is also wearing a baby blue long-sleeved shirt and an orange skirt, with white knee-high socks and black Mary Janes. _What is this? I'm dressed like, like Becky Botsford. Oh, this isn't good. I'm a girl._

He remains in the bathroom for the next two-and-a-half hours, looking over his recent developments. He finally breaks away and sneaks back into his own room. He takes out a laptop he had built and sends in forms for a new transfer student. Once Tobey is finished, she sets the computer to the side and works on her accessories. She searches the attic until she finds her mom's old high school backpack. It is a fuchsia color with stickers plastered all over. Tobey also finds brightly colored folders and notebooks, as well as a few sketchpads and lots of pencils. She rummages through the refrigerator and finds a Tupperware box of cookies.

Tobey slides them into the backpack as well. She sets a lunch waiting for the morning. Tobey then proceeds to quietly learn to talk like a girl, after getting over the initial shock of her voice change. She logs back into the computer, sending out a backed-up emergency e-mail, excusing Tobey McCallister the Third from the school the next two weeks, because of complications in the family. It is sent out to look as if it had been sent out last week, receded in the system. Tobey resets her alarm and drifts to sleep.

A vibration wakes her up just a little after five. She leaves several notes for her mother: on the bedroom door, the bathroom mirror and the refrigerator, saying the same thing. Tobey quickly straightens her clothes, combs her hair and grabs her belongings. She is out the door, and headed for school.

The note she had left for her mother reads: _Hi, Mom. I have a really big project I'll be working on in school. It'll be the rest of this week, next week and possibly the week after. Don't worry – it has nothing to do with robots. I'm in charge of the early shift, so I will be leaving very early in the mornings. I also share the evening shift, so I may not be home until late. It will consists of costumes, so don't be surprised if I come home dressed as a Viking, a surgeon or even a girl. I am committed to my roles in this assignment, so please don't ask any questions. Most of the time I will see you, I won't be 'Tobey', but instead the chosen characters. Things should be back to normal soon. Love you, Your child._

Before actually heading to school, Tobey takes a detour. She makes her way to a residence near the school. She waits outside, sketching, until she hears commotion coming from inside. She sighs and sets the book back into her bag. She straightens herself up then moves forward and knocks on the Benatar's door. A skinny blond man answers with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"Hello. I was hoping to interest Johnson in a financial deal." She smirks with confidence. "We attend the same school, you see. And my classmate is his best friend's sister. I have a feeling I have a proposition he will be unable to refuse."

The man smiles at the self-assurance and allows Tobey inside. The girl waits in the kitchen and Johnson appears, fully dressed, thirty minutes later. He seems confused, but Tobey hops off his chair and gestures the younger kid into the living room – away from the prying eyes of fascinated parents. Johnson sits on the couch and Tobey follows.

"What's going on?"

"You're a member of the Wordgirl fan club, correct? TJ Botsford's?"

"Yes…"

"And you are aware of Tobey McCallister the Third?"

He nods. "With the cool robots."

Tobey inwardly smiles but suppresses his feelings, remembering he is now a girl. "Finally, I have been informed of your influx… err, your withstanding allowance?"

He nods again. "Fifteen dollars a week."

"Is it possible you have at least sixty dollars saved at the moment?"

"Yeah. Seventy-five, actually."

"Okay, how about… we trade. I'll give you a miniature robot and its controlling remote, for sixty dollars? Actually, I feel generous. The robot, its remote and a box of _homemade_ chocolate chip cookies for fifty-five dollars."

"How big does the robot get?"

Biting back a sarcastic remark, Tobey removes said robot. It is only a foot tall. He fiddles with the remote and the android shift to a total thirty-eight inches. Johnson is excited. He fishes out the money and easily trades it away. Tobey smiles to Johnson's parents, muttering a 'glad to do business with you', and consequentially leaving the house.

Tobey makes it to the grocery store by seven o'clock. The doors have just opened and she makes her way to the _Pretty Princess and Magical Pony Power Hour_ area. She collects a lunchbox and corresponding thermos. She finds _Pretty Princess_ hot cocoa with magical rainbow marshmallows, fresh fruit bites – watermelon, strawberries and pineapples – with a side cup of yogurt, and a brownie cookie bites packet.

After purchasing said items, and a back-and-forth with Bill, Tobey is hired and allowed access to the breakroom. She quickly makes her lunch and leaves the store, "quitting" her "job" and leaving Bill absolutely flabbergasted. She manages to locate the right sidewalk to the school and begins her trek.

"Hi!" Violet Heaslip carefully crosses the street not ten minutes later. She waves, willing the new girl to slow. "Are you going to Fair City Elementary?"

"Yes." Tobey bites her lower lip, mentally recoiling at her changed voice.

"Me too." She smiles. "I've never seen you before. Are you new?"

"First day." She exhales with a nod, grateful Violet doesn't recognize her.

"Well, me and my best friend," Tobey cringes a little at her improper grammer. "Can show you around the"

Violet trails off, noticing a brunette girl their age crossing the street to meet with them. Said girl walks over expectantly.

"Hi, Violet." She turns to Tobey. "What's your name? I'm Becky."

"Tia." She smiles, remembering her backstory. "I'm new."

"Well, school is just around the corner." Becky gestures. "We can show you around, right, Vi?"

Violet nods and the three head to school. Becky and Violet explain the circumstances behind the playground equipment being basically broken robots. While Violet only bears abstract opinon on the situation, Tia immediately recognizes a tilt in Becky's voice. It seems as though she shares compassion toward Tobey.

Scoops appears at some point and is introduced to Tia. At Tia's raised eyebrows when asked for a story, the reporter had muttered something quietly and gone off in an alternate direction with Violet. Becky stays behind to show Tia to the main office. The secretary looks up chererfully. _I don't recall her ever looking this pleased. She usually just seems to scowl at me._ Tobey inwardly thinks.

"Hello, Becky. Becky's friend. What do you need?"

"Miss Shapiro, this is the new transfer student. Tia, um…"

"Teresa McCall." Tia supplies. "Everyone calls me Tia."

"Welcome, Tia." Miss Shapiro offers a genuine smile, followed by a folded piece of paper and an agenda. "There you are. You'll be in class with Miss Davis."

"Davis." Tia is shocked. _Hadn't I thought of a backroute?_

"Yes. She has one less student for a while, so you'll be taking his spot for the time being."

Tia swallows a smirk as Becky takes reigns. The brunette offers to lead the way, since it is her class as well. Becky takes Tia on a trip around the school, guiding her to the art room, gymnasium, cafeteria and library, to name a few. Ultimately, the girls arrive at Miss Davis's classroom with several minutes to spare. Tobey already knew his way around but he was grateful to spend time with Becky. Upon opening the door, Miss Davis takes interest in the new girl.

"Hello, you must be Teresa. Come to the front and tell us about yourself. No less than ten sentences."

Tia inwardly rolls her eyes at her teacher's expectance. She drops her things in her seat then moves to take a stand at one of the debate practice podiums. The bell rings and Tia clears her throat.

"I'm Teresa McCall. You can just call me Tia. At my old school, I was captain of the debate team. I also love Shakespearean plays. I'm not much for painting but I love to sketch. I can cook, and dance. I pride myself in singing. My previous teacher says I have a knack for prose and composition. Also, I hate sports. Um, but I like soccer."

Tia shudders as she suddenly realizes she is having much better luck as a girl of eighth hours than shae ever had as a boy of the past ten-and-a-half years. She takes the seat normally occupied by Tobey. After a few lessons, the class is dismissed to lunch. Scoops and Rose are already at the table when Violet, Becky and Tia join.

"So, you have any ideas what clubs to join?" Rose's open question is directed toward Tia.

"Debate club, obviously." She smiles, placing her lunchbox on the table. "Maybe art or cooking…"

Becky and Violet are interested. Eugene, who had been passing by with Victoria, peaks up at the mention of 'cooking'. They sit down as Tia continues. "I'm trying out for the upcoming play, it's Julius Cesear, did you hear?" Becky and Victoria nod excitedly. "Oh, and I'm going to ask Miss Champlaign if I can have a late tryout for the soccer team."

"I'm on the soccer team." Becky smiles. "So is Violet and Victoria."

"You said you're good at composition." Rose breaks the subject. "Journalism is basically scrapbooking, where the whole school gets to see."

Tia smiles at the new crest of interest. "I'll look into it. Thanks."

Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Scoops roll his eyes. Becky opens her matching (to Tia) lunchbox. Rose and Scoops have school tray lunches. Violet has a biodegrabale container. Conversation strays from Tia's afterschool preferences, to the mutual dilike for Vanilly & Billy, to the surprisingly reciprocated excitement over The Squishy Fun Bots. Soon enough, lunch is over. The kids start back to class. Rose, Scoops and Violet lead. Becky and Tia are straggling behind everyone else.

"So, TV?" Becky questions. "What do you watch?"

"Pretty Princess." She shrugs offhandedly. "I mostly just sketch and read, though."

"What do you read? What's your favorite book?" Becky eagerly asks, determined to find out as much as she can about her open new friend.

It doesn't even take a second for a name to pop into her head. She's already got her decision. "Princess Triana and the Ogre of Castlebaum."

"Really?" Becky's eyes light up. "That's mine too!"

A few more lessons go by, when class is released yet again. Recess. Rose, Eugene and Victoria join the second-and-third graders in a game of kickball. Bea, Aisha and Hunter jump onto the merry-go-round. Becky and Violet go for the swings, dragging Tia along when she announces she'd rather stay inside and draw.

"I've never done this before." Tia exclaims, following the girls.

Becky lands with a small laugh. "You've never jumped out of a swing before? Or you've never been on a swing?"

She shakes her head then jumps, lands. "Never swung with… before."

"With…?" Violet turns with a stop.

"Uh… are we _friends_?" Tia asks sheepishly.

"Yeah." Both easily reply.

"Haven't you ever had a friend?" Becky is concerned.

"There was a…" Tobey mentally switches the genders for Tia. "This boy I liked in my old town. He was sorta my rival. Only, I liked him but I never really showed it…" She trails off, staring at the ground.

Becky quickly gives her a hug, then her voice turns excited. "Have you ever been to a sleepover?" She whispers.

Tia shakes her head in embarrassment.

"You will tonight."

 **So, there's that. What do you guys think? Let me know in the review box below. I wrote this last month and am just getting around to publishing it. **blushes****


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